


you owe me an explanation (and a new pair of slippers)

by arohawe



Category: ASTRO (Band)
Genre: 5 and a half pages of i have no idea anymore, M/M, Prompt Fic, i made jinwoo an emotional drunk im sorry, i will never stop being myungjin trash, my second myungjin attempt, rated T for minimal cursing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-05
Updated: 2017-06-05
Packaged: 2018-11-09 11:55:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,493
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11104083
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/arohawe/pseuds/arohawe
Summary: Myungjun figures it’d be best not to question the handsome, obviously drunk stranger who’s crying in his backyard in the middle of the night.





	you owe me an explanation (and a new pair of slippers)

**Author's Note:**

> hello friends i have returned after months of writers block!!! seriously, this may or may not be trash, but i've been itching to write for the longest time... shoutout to [puppycat-eyes](http://puppycat-eyes.tumblr.com/) for the prompt, ily thank you so much, i needed the inspiration <3 
> 
> this may or may not be actual trash but i hope you guys like it! :)

Myungjun had had enough.

 

 _Why party at 3 AM? In an apartment, no less?_ The _idiots,_ as Myungjun called them, that lived above him would not quiet down. This party (which Myungjun wasn’t invited too, by the way, probably due to the fact that he calls his neighbors _idiots_ ) should have been planned with courtesy towards the other residents in this apartment complex. He was surprised no one had filed a noise complaint. In fact, he had been ready to stomp up there and end the party himself for the past 3 hours that he lie awake staring at his shaking ceiling lamp.

 

It’s not that Myungjun didn’t enjoy a good party. Hell, he was a college student and had attended enough parties to be dubbed the ‘life of the party’ by his peers. He had drank enough at said parties, too, to know that whoever was upstairs would _definitely_ still be shit-faced when the sun rose. (No, Myungjun was not an alcoholic: he just knew how to have a good time.)

 

Myungjun groaned in disgust at the thought of half-drunk (and half-dressed) teenagers stumbling out of the elevator in the morning. Did he want to be the one helping them to cabs and subsequently be puked on? No, he didn’t, but who else would lecture these poor, innocent, underage souls about the consequences of consuming alcohol? Myungjun may be a fun-loving dude, but he was still responsible (most of the time).

 

After yet another loud bass drop shook Myungjun’s first floor apartment, nearly knocking the light fixture from the ceiling, Myungjun finally decided that sleep clearly wasn’t going to come. He sighed, pushing himself out of bed and into his slippers before waddling out of his bedroom. Despite wearing his warmest pajamas and cranking the heat to full blast, the cold weather still seeped inside and made his little home feel like a freezer.

 

Shivering, Myungjun padded into the kitchen and began his search for a midnight snack. Unfortunately, a broke graduate student’s budget didn’t leave room for much besides instant ramen and fruit snacks, which Myungjun decided was better than nothing. He ripped open a package of fruit snacks and chewed groggily, staring at little specks on the counter-top to keep himself busy. The music from the party had shifted from EDM to soft rock: an interesting choice but Myungjun wasn’t one to judge. It wasn’t his party.

 

As he was disposing his trash with the hopes of being able to maybe get some rest, Myungjun heard the distant jingle of a dog collar. He let out a long sigh as his precious pup came trotting out of his bedroom, her ears perked and tail wagging.

 

“No, no, Ruby. It’s _bed time._ Let’s go back to bed.” Myungjun tried to lead her back to the bedroom, but she let out a series of little whimpers and made her way to the patio door, scratching at the wood and whining louder. Myungjun hung his head in defeat. _Every time I try to sleep.._

 

“Okay, okay.” He trudged over to the patio door and grabbed the handle. “Be quick, please? For me?” The small dog only whined louder and Myungjun sighed, opening the door and letting Ruby run outside to do her business. He turned on the outside light and kept her in sight, tapping his foot a little too impatiently. He loved his dog, but he _really_ wanted to go to bed.

 

He was lucky that he was able to have Ruby with him. Previously, he had lived with his parents because of how close to campus they lived. They got Ruby when Myungjun was twelve years old, and he couldn’t imagine leaving her behind, as cheesy as it sounded. He loved Ruby more than anything, so when the time came to find an apartment, he had to make sure to find a complex that allowed pets. Lucky for him, the landlord had a soft spot for animals and an open first floor apartment, which Myungjun happily rented. Despite the occasional flooding and annoying upstairs neighbors, Ruby helped make the experience more enjoyable.

 

Myungjun was lost in thought. Thinking about Ruby had led to joyful flashbacks of her running around happily in the front yard, cuddling with Myungjun on the couch, and trips to the park. Myungjun found himself smiling at his own reflection in the glass door, and when he snapped back into reality, Ruby had disappeared.

 

 _W-what?_ Panic had taken over Myungjun. He flung the door open, searching the poorly lit space for his beloved pet. The small yard he was given with his apartment was fenced in, and unless his Corgi had suddenly learned how to jump over a three foot fence, she had to still be in the yard somewhere.

 

“Ruby! Here girl!” Myungjun shouted, staring into the darkness. His eyes scanned the grass so quickly that he almost didn’t see his dog: in the far corner of the yard being coddled by a complete stranger.

 

Myungjun froze. First of all, he felt _betrayed._ Ruby doesn’t just walk up to anybody and start cuddling, so the fact that she was currently accepting scratches from another human was near unforgivable in Myungjun’s heart. Second, _who is this random guy in his yard and why is he there just petting his dog at 3 AM?_

 

The stranger didn’t seem to notice Myungjun having a crisis on the patio, and just continued scratching Ruby’s ears and humming an indecipherable tune to himself. Myungjun, on the other hand, was debating between running inside and calling the cops (and thus risking his pup’s life), or mustering up the courage to confront the stranger himself. Neither seemed like a good plan, but when choosing between himself and his dog, he chose Ruby.

 

“What do you think you’re doing?” Myungjun yelled, voice wavering slightly as the stranger jumped a little, turning around slowly to see Myungjun with his hand in his hips (and totally not shaking from fear. Myungjun isn’t afraid of anything). “This is my house, and that is _my_ dog. What are you doing here?”

 

The man stared directly at Myungjun, eyes wide and lips parted in surprise. He was wearing a large sweatshirt and baggy, ripped jeans with sneakers. His light brown hair was styled out of his face, exposing his forehead. His eyes were rather small, and a few moles adorned his face and neck. Myungjun’s brain short-circuited slightly at the man’s appearance. _He was gorgeous._ The man looked slowly between Myungjun and Ruby before setting his beautiful eyes on Myungjun.

 

“I’m-” Hiccup. “Sorry. I just really like dogs.” The man said, voice low and a little raspy. Myungjun felt a bit of his confidence waver at the man’s words, but remained calm. “They’re just,” The man sniffled loudly, bringing his sleeve up to his eyes as he choked up. “Dogs are really awesome, y’know?” Before Myungjun knew it, the strange man was sobbing in the grass with his dog, who had nearly fallen asleep in the man’s lap.

 

“Um, okay... “ Myungjun took a few hesitant steps toward the emotional stranger. “Do you need me to call someone?” The man shook his head, shoulders shaking as he continued to cry, tears streaking his face. Myungjun crouched beside the man, fear replaced with pity, as he nudged Ruby to move off of the man’s legs. Ruby deserted the two, running back to the patio door, which Myungjun had left open, and inside to her bed. Myungjun moved the man’s hands away from his face, seeing his bloodshot eyes and adorable tear-stricken face. At this proximity, he could smell the alcohol on the his breath and clothes.

 

“Okay, come on.” Myungjun wasn’t about to leave this ridiculously drunk (and handsome) man in the dark and cold of his backyard, so with great effort, he managed to wrap an arm around his torso and help the man to stand. He was able to coax the stranger to move his legs too, and soon they were making their way to the patio door.

 

“Just a few more steps, we’re almost-” Just before they passed the threshold of Myungjun’s apartment, the stranger had doubled over and spilled the contents of his stomach all over Myungjun’s slippers. Myungjun groaned, staring up at the sky and muffling his curses before glancing back at the man he was holding. He had stopped puking (thankfully) and was leaning on Myungjun’s shoulder for support. Myungjun kicked his slippers off to the side and practically carried the man inside, plopping him onto the couch. He went back to retrieve his slippers, holding his breath and tossing them into the trash on his way back to the couch.

 

The man had passed out, face pressed into the cushion of the couch and limbs flung in every direction possible. Myungjun knew there was no point in moving him, so he grabbed a glass of water and aspirin to place on the table beside him. With one last look at the unconscious stranger, Myungjun padded back to his bedroom and curled up in his own bed.

 

 _The world is out to get me._ Myungjun thought, allowing himself to drift into sleep with the thought of his ruined slippers on his mind and the faint sound of snoring and soft rock music reaching his ears.

 

* * *

 

 

Myungjun almost didn’t remember the events that occurred hours prior to him waking the next morning. Only when he had stumbled out of bed in search of his missing slippers did he realize that, no, it wasn’t a dream, and yes, he did in fact have a very attractive and hungover stranger on his couch.

 

Myungjun took a deep breath and emerged from his bedroom, met with the sight of Ruby licking the sleeping man’s face. He let himself laugh a little at the sight, before making his way to the kitchen to pour himself a small bowl of cereal. When he returned to the living room, the man was awake and swallowing the aspirin with a large gulp of water. Myungjun leaned against the wall, watching as the man groaned and rubbed his temples while Ruby sat nudging his knee.

 

“You owe me a name, an explanation, and a new pair of slippers.” Myungjun spoke, surprising the man as he ate a spoonful of his breakfast. The man covered his eyes, had let out some muffled noise and fallen back against the couch cushions.

 

“P-Park Jinwoo. I’m so sorry.”

 

“Just tell me why you were drunk in my backyard and I might forgive you for puking at my feet.”

 

Jinwoo sighed, peeking at Myungjun through the gaps in his fingers and sat forward. He still reeked of alcohol and puke, and his once nicely styled hair now stuck out in every direction. His eyes had lost some of the redness and puffiness from hours earlier, but faint tear streaks still remained on his cheeks. Myungjun tried to rid his brain of the thought that JInwoo still looked handsome when hungover.

 

“I guess I just had a long day and wanted to relax. I don’t usually drink that much, and I didn’t mean to wander into your apartment. O-or.. to throw up.. On you.. That was completely unintentional, oh my _god,_ I’m sorry-” The man buried his head in the couch cushions, causing Myungjun to chuckle. He was kind of adorable when he was embarrassed.

 

“You’re half forgiven. Do you remember anything from last night? How much did you drink?” Myungjun asked, taking a seat next to him.

 

“ _A lot._ I swear, I never get that drunk. I got a little carried away..” He winced, fingertips massaging his head. “Everything is fuzzy, it hurts to think. What did I do?”

 

“Well aside from ruining my slippers, you hopped the fence to pet my dog and cried when I caught you.” Myungjun informed, eating another spoonful of cereal and watched as Jinwoo cringed. “You’re a really emotional drunk, if you didn’t know.”

 

“Thanks.” Ruby, still sitting patiently at Jinwoo’s side, had let out a yelp and nudged Jinwoo’s knee harshly. Jinwoo smiled for the first time since waking up and reached down to scratch her ears affectionately. Myungjun scoffed, catching Jinwoo’s attention again.

 

“Traitor.” He directed at Ruby, sulking as she accepted the attention from her newest companion. Jinwoo smirked, earning a glare from Myungjun as he watched his loving pet cuddle up to another man.

 

“I don’t know why she likes you, you smell like shit.” Jinwoo let out a loud laugh, revealing a wide gummy smile that made Myungjun’s heart leap.

 

“Maybe she likes my scratches more?”

 

“Please, I’m the best ear-scratcher in the world.” Myungjun spoke, crossing his arms. Myungjun met Jinwoo’s gaze, watching the corners of his eyes crinkle as he laughed. Maybe he would forget about his slippers if he could score a date with Jinwoo. It sounded like a favorable option in Myungjun’s brain, as they maintained eye contact. He could sense the awkward tension forming between them and let out an awkward cough, breaking the connection and silence. He pretended not to notice the slight pink in his cheeks in favor of making his own bush disappear.

 

“So, breakfast? I’m sure your hangover sucks. I make a mean bowl of cereal.” Myungjun rose to pour a second bowl but Jinwoo shook his head.

 

“No, I wouldn’t want to trouble you.” He turned his head, searching for a clock. “Uh, what time is it?” Myungjun showed him the time; it was almost nine-thirty.

 

“I’m late for class!” Jinwoo spoke frantically, standing a little too quickly and stumbling towards the door. Myungjun followed behind, ready to lend a helping hand if Jinwoo were to fall. He patted his pockets to make sure he had everything, before turning back to face Myungjun.

 

“How much do I owe you?” He said, pulling out his wallet and rifling through the few bills he had.

Myungjun thought it over for a moment.

 

“Don’t worry about the slippers, I won’t miss them too much. How about your number? You seem like a fun drinking buddy. A handsome one at that.”

 

Blushing, Jinwoo stuttered out his phone number and left. Myungjun chuckled, sitting his breakfast down and grabbing his phone.

 

_To: Jinwoo_

 

_let me know if you ever need a good-looking dd, or if you wanna get drunk and pet dogs together. either works for me :)_

 

Myungjun grinned, setting his phone down to return to his breakfast. He received an almost instantaneous response.

 

_From: Jinwoo_

 

_tonight, 7 pm? your dog is really cute but i wouldn’t mind getting to know you instead.._

 

Myungjun giggled to himself at Jinwoo’s change in demeanor. He was braver through text, possibly because Myungjun didn’t have the chance to fluster him in person. Grinning, he typed his reply.

 

_To: Jinwoo_

 

_it’s a date :)_

 

(Myungjun decided that it was the best date he’d ever had, and that Jinwoo might rank higher than Ruby on Myungjun’s list of favorite things.)

**Author's Note:**

> ta da! i have not abandoned my love for myungjin. i am actual trash, there is no doubt about it
> 
> feel free to hit me up on my tumblr: [arohawe](https://arohawe.tumblr.com/)! thank you for reading if you did. feedback is very much appreciated, i hope i did the prompt and myungjin justice <3


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